Travis and the sergeant whirled as Nicole stepped into the alley behind them, a stun gun raised and pointing at them. Her first shot took the sergeant squarely in the solar plexus. His hands flew up into the air, and both stun guns went flying. Travis lunged to the left, diving for the corner of the nearest garage, but Nicole had squeezed the trigger even as he jumped. The blow caught him in midair, flinging him clear of the garage. He bounced once on the gravel, then slid to a halt on his back.

“Nicole?” Eric cried, unable to believe his eyes.

She ran past him, kicked the stun guns away, and looked quickly at the two still figures lying in the alley. Satisfied, she whirled back to Eric and put her arm around his waist. “Come on, we’ve got to hurry. There’ll be others.”

Half running, half stumbling, she got Eric through the gate and shut it behind her. He stopped, dragging her to a halt. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, still half in shock, swiping at the blood on his mouth. “You’re supposed to be with Clayne. Where is he?”

“Gone,” she said. “Now let’s go!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward again. “We’ve got to get across the next street before they start fanning out to cover our escape.” She dragged him along with her, past the dark shape of a house, then along a length of hedge lining a driveway out to the curb.

“Can you run?” she asked, peering up and down the empty street.

Eric’s head was clearing fast, and he nodded. “More or less. Let’s go.”

They leaped up, and Nicole supported him as he half ran, half hobbled across the street and into the deep shadows of a large willow tree. Suddenly the sweep of headlights filled the street as a Guardian squad car swung around the corner and moved toward them.

“Quick,” Eric whispered urgently, giving her a shove toward the house, “into the bushes.”

Nicole burrowed into a lilac bush while Eric made a leaping dive into a thick tangle of pfitzers, ignoring the fiery clutch of the needles. The squad car went by swiftly, its electric engine a low hum, and Eric breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ve got to get out of here,” he whispered, rolling out from under his cover.

“Wait!” Nicole cried. “He’s turning around.”

At that instant the front door of the house opened almost directly over where Eric was crouching, and a dark figure stepped out. “Quickly!” a deep voice commanded. “Come inside.”

“Come on, Nicky,” Eric said, grabbing her by the hand and virtually hurtling through the open doorway, pulling her with him.

The door slammed shut, and a hand touched Eric’s shoulder. “Follow me. Hurry!”